Finally Found You
by NicoleTheresa1
Summary: It has been 7 years since Dawn supposedly took her life. In those years she has made new friends. Now Beth and her group have found Daryl and the others but nothing is the same. So many are dead, so many are new. Follow along as Beth reunites with her family but most importantly with Daryl. Rated M for later chapters
1. 7 Years Later

Chapter 1

Seven Years Later

The sounds of the walkers groaning at us as we worked to keep them at bay filled the still afternoon air. It was cooler here in Virginia then it was back home in Georgia. My large machete held out in front of me made contact with a walker that got to close, next thing I hear, five shots ring out and walkers drop to the uneven earth at our feet.

"Come on, this way. It's clear." A small angelic childlike voice rang out from the tree line. We quickly followed suit and ran to the trees. We kept going following the sounds of light foot steps until the small girl stopped and turned to look at us. She holstered a large gun and stared at us. "You got names?"

I'm Magna, this is Connie and Kelly… Yumiko, Beth and Luke. Whats yours?" My close friend Magna said, her breath coming in heavy from exertion.

The girl bent down and picked up a familiar brown sheriffs hat, placing it on her head she said the exact words I never imagined I would hear. "Judith. Judith Grimes." My heart stilled in my chest as I looked at the young girl who I used to care for as an infant. Memories of the time we spent in the prison flooding my mind. "Come on." She ushered us to follow her. The voices of others calling her name reminded me she wouldn't be alone. I just hoped with all hope to see someone who would recognize me.

A small group of people gathered, none of them familiar to me. They placed brown sacks over our heads and lead us back to their home. When the bag was pulled from my head the sun blasting my eyes I stumbled a bit. When my eyes focused I looked around, tall steel walls surrounded the place, solar panels, little houses. It looked like paradise. It looked like the world before.

"This is Alexandria. This is home." Judith chimed. She looked so much like her mother it made my heart sad. Towns people began to gather around us, my travel companions, my friends moved like herded cattle in fear.

"DADDY." I little girl called out.

"Gracie stay where you are." One of the men who had been out in the field called back.

"There is another one in the wagon, Female with head trauma. She's conscious." The woman with the braided hair explained to a man who had run over at our arrival.

I tuned out as he started talking. The sound of horse hooves on pavement filled my ears. I turned with everyone else to see who was coming in. Michonne sat atop the beautiful horse, her face set in such an angry expression. She hopped down and tossed a bag a woman had handed her, walking closer, her face still angry. "You wanna tell me what this is?"

"Five unknown, one headed to the infirmary." A man replied.

"Why are they here?" She asked.

"My call." The man who I learned was called Aaron told her.

"Thats not your call to make." Michonne barked back.

"I decided." Judith said stepping forward. I knew then this would keep escalating.

"Michonne." I said stepping forward. My friends looked at me with wide confused eyes. I had yet to tell them I knew the young girl who rescued us.

"What the…"

"Michonne, please don't be angry." Next thing I knew her katana was at my throat.

"You wear that face…"

"Its me, it is me. Beth… The same Beth you knew from the prison." From the corner of my eye I saw Judith look up in slight confusion before I refocused on Michonne and the sharp blade at my throat. "You lost Andre early on because f your boyfriend at the time. You found Andrea in the woods after my family farm was lost. You brought the formula to the prison gates after you saw Maggie and Glenn taken by Merle Dixon to see the governor. If it wasn't for that Judith would have starved. Please you have to believe me. I am me and I am alive."

She lowered the katana and moved forward. She pulled me into a tight hug which surprised me more than anything. "Beth." A tear slipped down her face.

"I missed you guys."

"You were dead… I… you were dead."

"It's a long story, I can explain it to you if you would like, well what I remember anyway." I told her pulling back from the hug. "Where is everyone, I haven't seen anyone familiar except you and Judith, and I didn't know it was her until she said her name. Where is Rick and Maggie and Glenn. Tyresse and Sasha they were at the hospital they tried to get me out. Daryl where is Daryl and did Carol make it." I spit out in a frantic voice.

"Follow me." Myself and my new friends followed her into a modest house where she had us sit around the living room. A few people came in and sat on the sidelines. The woman Rosita I learned and Judith were among them. "I am so happy to see you." She started.

"Mom?" Judith said from her spot right next to Michonne. I smiled at the name.

"Jude this is Beth, Maggies sister. She used to take care of you when you were a little tiny baby."

"Uncle Daryl told me a story about you once."

"Where is Daryl, I need too…"

"He is out there, he doesn't come into the communities very much anymore." She explained. "Tyreese and Sasha are both gone, so is Glenn. We lost Tyreese a few weeks after you. Sasha and Glenn died after we arrived here. It's a terrible long story that involves our prisoner. Maggie lives in another community called Hilltop with her son Hershel and Carol married the leader of another group called the Kingdom." I sat back slightly startled. "Not many of us left."

"Wow… and Rick?"

"Six years ago there was a war and after it ended Rick tried to make peace and have all the communities work together for the common good. Most of the one community was still loyal to their leader. Negan. There were herds on both sides… he tried to save all the communities and in the end her blew himself up to save everyone. No body was found but… but I don't think there ever would be." The room around us was sad and so full of emotion.

"Can they stay mom?" Judith asked her quietly.

"Well if they really want to but I think we should take them to Hilltop."

"When do we leave?" I asked.

"Wait leave, Beth this seems like a good place why leave." Magna replied back quickly.

I looked over to Magna and signed my answer while I spoke so Connie could understand me as well. "Because my sister is there and I think we should go to her."

"We must stay together no matter what." Connie signed to us. I nodded my head in agreement.

"Thank you." I signed back.

"You two are crazy, this place is good enough. Make your sister come here to you instead." Magna signed back.

"What are they doing?" I moved my gaze from Magna and Connie and look back to Judith as her words sunk in.

"Talking." Rosita answered her. "They are using sign language. It either means they hope no one knows what they are saying or one of them can't hear."

"Oh." Judith replied.

"Connie is unable to hear, we apologize for not vocalizing at the same time, we get so used to just using our hands." I explained to her.

"Can I learn it?"

I looked up to Michonne before answering her. "Of course, it's always cool to know another language." The little girl smiled brightly.

"Tomorrow we leave first thing for Hilltop." Michonne said with finality. She stood from her spot on the sofa and walked towards the stairs.

"Mom is very protective, don't worry about her, she will come around." Judith said as she walked towards the stairs herself. I stood and followed Rosita from the house with the others. No one said anything as she led us into a different house. Inside was a few personal hygiene items and some clean clothes.

"Make yourselves comfortable. There are bedrooms upstairs and two bathrooms with showers. They can both be used at the same time." Rosita told us. I rummaged in the box and made my way up to shower. It felt amazing to have the hot water rushing over my skin, the smell of honeysuckle filled my nostrils and the stress melted from my tense shoulders. I took way longer then I should have but I couldn't care less in the moment.

I meandered over to one of the bedrooms and fell into the warm comfort of down feathers and pillow top softness.

We were about half way to the Hilltop when Michonne pulled us all to a stop. "This is as far as I go." She announced. I looked at her and around at the other faces escorting us, I didn't know any of them.

Siddiq the doctor pulled his horse to a stop next to her. "Maggie isn't there."

"What do you mean?"

"She took Hershel a year or so ago and is helping Georgie set up a new community."

"The whole point of going to this Hilltop place is that you're supposed to be taking me to my sister." I demanded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to say anything." He replied.

"Listen Michonne I don't know why you seem so angry with Michonne and everyone else but if she isn't there then we go back to Alexandria with you."

"Beth you are welcome but we don't take in strangers at Alexandria, not anymore."

"I stay with them."

"Then you go to Hilltop." She replied matter of factly. I sat back and didn't say anything more, however Michonne did come with us the rest of the way.

When we arrived it was a tense greeting all around, I have no idea what happened since I last saw everyone. My mind raced with the worst possible thoughts. Rick and Carl are dead, Maggie lost Glenn and had a child and took off to who knows where, Sasha and Tyreese are dead, Bob is dead. It's like everyone I once knew in this world has gone and in their place is strangers and the walkers.

"Jesus will make the final decision." A young man said from in front of us. They led us through the small community and into a large mansion. I could see why Maggie liked it here in the first place, with its walls and sense of normalcy. "You can wait in here."

"Excuse me?" I turned to him as he went to exit the office.

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me where I can find Daryl Dixon please." He looked at me a little stunned.

"He doesn't live in any of the communities, he lives out in the woods someplace, only Carol from the Kingdom knows the exact location." He told me. "How do you know Daryl Dixon newcomer?"

"I was part of his group a long time ago, my name is Beth. Beth Greene." I replied. "I am Maggies sister."

"She never mentioned a sister."

"Well thats because she thinks I'm dead." I said with a sad sort of smile. "I was taken by some bad people back in Georgia and when they came to rescue me. Well when Daryl, Michonne, Rick and a few others came to rescue me the woman in charge shot me in the head. They all thought I was dead and they had to leave me there as they were overrun by walkers. The doctor their thought to dispose of me properly and they found I had a pulse. They fixed me up and after I was healed I took off on my own, they just let me go this time. Then I found my new friends, they have kept me alive all these years."

"I'll be sure to give Jesus a good word for you and your friends." He said. "Im Alden by the way."

"Nice to meet you." I looked down at my feet a moment. "Do you know how I can reach Carol, I need to find Daryl."

"They were here this morning, went out to look for a missing member of Alexandria. Eugene is his name."

"I met him, he was one of the people who brought us in. I hope they find him."

"Same, he makes our ammunition and is generally one of the smartest people around." Alden explained.

"Alden, do we have to stay in this room?" I questioned, the others looking at us hoping for a good answer. "We don't like being cooped up and we don't know how long this Jesus person is going to be…"

"Tara wants you all to stay in here but I am sure some air wont hurt." We followed him back out into the main yard. People stopped their work to stare at us.

"OPEN THE GATES!" A woman yelled from the perch. The giant wooden gates slowly moved open and in ran a man half carrying Eugene, they both collapsed on the dirt. Moments later the loud sound of a motorcycle filled the air. The bike was pulled to a quick stop and the driver flew off to check on the other two men. He pulled the bandana from his face.

My heart skipped a beat. Happiness flooded through me. "ENID!" Daryl hollered and a young woman ran from someplace behind us. Daryl stood back, surveying the community.

"DARYL!" I called out.


	2. Changes Inbound

**Thank you to those woh have reviewed so far. I really appreciate it. It has been so long since I have worked on any fanfiction. It's so nice to see some feedback! I hope you all enjoy this story. When I saw the new characters I just thought bam Beth would fit so nicely with them and having Judith be their first contact was perfect.**

 **Let me know what you think.**

Chapter 2

Daryl Dixon stood next to Aaron and Eugene staring straight at me, his eyes half closed probably from not being able to see very well. He didn't move and he didn't say anything. The people of Hilltop stood in dead silence watching. The only movement was Enid working on Eugenes leg.

I made the first move to get closer to where he stood. He raised the crossbow and aimed it directly at me. In return I raised my hands as if to surrender. "Daryl are you going to shoot me?" I asked him with a hint of humour in my voice.

"No no this ain't real." He muttered.

"Beth be careful." Magna called from her spot near the blacksmiths workstation. I looked back at her with a smile. My attempt at telling her it was alright. I was now stood a few feet from him. I could feel his eyes raking over my face, hair, arms, hands, legs, body. He was checking to see if his eyes were deceiving him.

"Daryl can you put the crossbow down… I will explain everything. I will explain how I am here and what has happened all these years. But if you shoot me you will never have an explanation." I explained to him. His grey blue eyes were angry, like they were back at the farm when we first met. Back before he melted into the person I grew to know at the prison and the person he was when I was taken from them. "Daryl I am real I promise."

"Beth?" His hoarse voice was like music to my ears.

"Hey stranger!"

He reached out and touched my arm and then the braid I always kept in my ponytail before he marched up to the big mansion without a word. I stared after him a moment before making up my mind to follow him.

"Beth you good?" Luke asked me as I walked briskly past them. I nodded my head quickly in confirmation.

I found him pacing inside the office that Alden had taken us to a few minutes earlier. I stood in the doorway and just watched. He always had this way of moving his body, it was rough but fluid. I liked watching him sometimes back at the prison, to see how well he worked with the other members of our family, the way the muscles in his back twitched when he moved.

"Beth?" I snapped my eyes up to see Daryl standing a few feet in front of me, he had stopped his pacing and was staring at me.

"Wha…" I replied. "I'm sorry did you say something?"

"I asked you what happened?"

"Oh… of um right. Well…" I jumped in and explained the whole story of the time since he left me at that hospital. He moved and sat in an arm chair, listening to my tale intently and not injecting anything.

I finally finished my story and stopped pacing around. I looked back to him and smiled slightly. "Beth 'm sorry we left ya there, we shoulda…"

"No Daryl, if you had taken me with you I would have died for sure. It took days for me to wake up and by then you would have buried me and I would have been suffocated. Leaving me at Grady Memorial saved my life. Shepard and one of the other officers came out to gather me and take out the walkers that had swarmed the place apparently. She found a pulse and Dr. Edwards took me into surgery right away."

"How did you get here?"

"Judith found us, we were surrounded by a heard. It was weird like they were cornering us and if I didn't know any better I would say they were whispering amongst themselves. Anyway she shot a few walkers and got us out of there. Then we were taken to Alexandria and Michonne said my friends couldn't stay so we were brought here to Hilltop."

"Well Maggie ain't here but I am sure Tara will let em stay. I'll talk to her."

"Thank you… I hear you don't live in any of the communities."

"Nah, I gotta camp few miles away." He told me.

"I really missed you." I told him as I moved to sit on an opposite arm chair. He moved his hair from his eyes, the same blue I remembered from the dinner table in the funeral home we stayed in before all hell broke loose. His lips quirked up slightly. "I'm sorry…"

"For wha'?"

"I don't know everything… I feel like I am so lost, almost everyone I know is dead. Even people who I thought would survive until the end of all this. Rick and Carl, Sasha. Even Glenn… I just don't know anymore. I don't know why I survived all these years and all the pain of recovery just to find my way here and learn…"

He stood quickly and pulled me up. His strong arms circled around me and holding me close to his body. Tears fell from my eyes, soaking into his flannel shirt. I pulled back a few minutes later. "I missed you too!" He replied softly.

"With Jesus dead and Maggie still gone we need to elect a new leader. Anyone who would like to put there name forward for the position please come and see me in the office."

"Why don't you run?" Enid questioned from her place in the crowd.

"I haven't thought about it…" She replied. "Anyway the one thing we need to decide prior to a new leader is the status of the new comers that Alexandria brought us."

"I don't see why they cant stay." Alden piped in.

"But we don't even know them." A woman added.

"Tammy there came a time when we didn't know any one living here." Enid told her. The older woman shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay well all those in favour of the inviting the new comers in raise your hand." Tara announced loudly. I looked all around me as hands flew into the air, some more hesitant than others. It looked to me like just over half the crowd was saying yes. "And those opposed." Came her next questions. The remaining hands went into the air. "As there are more in favour of accepting the newcomers into the fold… We welcome you. Once we have elected our new leader you will be brought in to interview and get living quarters and jobs. Until then please make yourself at home and get to know your new neighbours."

"Shouldn't this be more of a discussion?" Someone from the crowd yelled out.

"You know how we vote and majority wins." Alden piped in.

"Shut up Savior no one asked you." I looked at the woman who spoke confused.

"Crystal it's been over six years, we all have a past no need to rehash it." Enid spoke out.

"Says the girlfriend." Crystal snapped. I looked back and forth between them all.

"HEY!" Daryl yelled from next to me. Everyone went silent in an instant. "They stay." He said with a tone full of finality.

"Daryl are you moving into the community?" A man named Marco questioned. Daryl shook his head once. "Then you don't get a say."

"May I plead our case?" I asked as I walked up to the porch where Tara stood. The rumblings within the crowd quieted down as they all looked up at me. "You don't know me and you don't know the others I came here with… Enid is right we all have pasts and we have all done horrendous things. That's why we are here and alive today, no one alive today has gotten here by being a saint or by being the way we all were when this whole thing started a decade ago." I started. "I was a high school student in small town Georgia, I was young and innocent. I had never done a bad thing in my entire life. Sure some people had harder lives and they may have done things they are not so proud of. My friends can bring so much to your community. Luke is a music teacher, Connie spent her years dedicated to bringing justice through words as a journalist, Kelly like me was a high school student who never got the change to be anything great in the world, Yumiko and Manga bring so much love and passion to everything they do, they may be fighters… the strongest ones I know and they will protect the people they care for with everything they have." I stared out at the crowd, their faces showing ranges of emotion.

"What do you bring to the community."

"I…"

"She makes a place a home." Daryl spoke out.

"I have learned a lot and how to be a stronger person. My sister wouldn't even recognize me if she walked back through that gate. I am adaptable."

"Sister?" Someone shouted.

"Yes Beth Greene is Maggie Rhee's sister."

"I don't know what went on in that war all those years ago and I am sorry you all had to go through that. I was once taken from my family and held by bad people who thought they were doing what had to be done. I know how hard it is to trust people, new people. But I can assure you we are good people and we want nothing more than to find a home and to find people we can trust and others who will trust us. We know trust is earned and we are willing to do what we can to earn your trust. Honestly if Maggie was here… well so many years have passed that I don't know her and she doesn't know me. Our relation should not be a factor in your decision." I explained.

"Maggie always put Hilltop first." Tammy spoke up. "We should give them a chance, Maggie would."

"Okay anyone want to change their votes?" I look out at the people who had opposed before, most had changed their minds. "Perfect. Welcome to Hilltop." Tara said happily.

The people moved away from the gathering space and back to their jobs or living spaces. I moved down to stand next to my friends who remained standing in a circle with Daryl. "It's nice hearing you speak more." I said to him. He quirked up his lip and shook his hair into his eyes. "Sorry that was probably super weird."

He shrugged his shoulders and went back to listening to Magna speak, her hands moving with her words so Connie could understand.

It didn't take long until Tara reappeared on the porch with the results of the election. It had all happened so quick it was like whiplash. "I have the results, thank you everyone for casting your vote. Rosita and Eugene of Alexandria tallied them for us with the guidance of Enid." She pulled a small piece of paper from the fish bowl and slowly unfolded it. "Your newly elected leader is… Tara Chambler… Guys I wasn't even running."

"You were running this place for Jesus… you deserve this win."

"Yeah keep doing what you have been doing."

"Oh um thank you." She replied back to the stream of comments coming in from the re gathered crowd. The crowd broke into a cheer for her, she blushed and went inside. I followed her in.

"Congratulations Tara." I told her as I sat in a chair opposite the large desk. She took her seat behind it and looked over at me, fear on her face.

"I don't think I can do this." She said. "and I don't know why I am telling you this." She laughed nervously.

"I am an easy person to talk to always have been. Some people just spill their guts when I'm around." I explained. "My people want to make this place home and they want to contribute so just tell us what to do and we will do it."

"I'll get everyone their jobs in the next day or two, until we get a living space ready for you the group is more than welcome to stay in here. We have spare rooms."

"We really appreciate that." I smiled at her. "If you need any help let me know." I took my leave. The sun blasting my eyes as I stepped outside. I took a survey of the western styled community. People working and going about the rest of the day. It was kinda like heaven in a way.


	3. A Step Back In Time

**A big shout out and thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing this story. It means so much and I love you all. It's been fun getting back into it after so long. I hope you're all still with me and you like whats coming!**

 **This is a little flashback chapter to kinda set the relationship Beth has with her friends/family. It does touch on a difficult and touchy subject without really going all into it. Please know that I have no malice or intention to offend or hurt anyone. I absolutely love all of these characters and I am trying to bring realism into this wonderful fictional world. It will not play a big role in this story, it's just two character having girl talk about their pasts. If anything seems wrong or is offensive please let me know and I will remove it. I hope you all enjoy what I have written.**

Chapter 3

My eyes snapped open in a blind panic and my body lunged forward grabbing the knife I kept under my pillow as I went. Fear gripped my entire body and soul as my eyes searched the large room I was in. I looked around me, at my sleeping companions. They were still peaceful, they were undisturbed my the loud noise coming through the ceiling. I turned my head and spotted Kelly sitting by the boarded up window, her gun in one hand and knife in the other. "Rain wake you up." I nodded my head quickly, there was light streaming in from the slits between wooden boards. "No movement outside."

I got up to sit next to her on the ledge. "Good, sorry if I startled you."

"No biggie." It was nice talking to Kelly, she's the same age as I am and went through the same life change when the world went to shit. We were both pulled from our high school life, friends, boyfriends, homework, tests, gym class, you name it. "I have been sitting her thinking… I really miss my schools cafeteria Friday mystery meat. It was usually some hamburger mixture but it was always such a fun game to guess." I chuckled lowly.

"My school had meatloaf Mondays and Mac and cheese Fridays. It was always so disgusting and my momma always packed my lunches so I didn't eat it often. My boyfriend Jimmy ate it all the time though. His mom also worked in the lunch room." I told her. It had been so long since I thought about Jimmy and home, my mind wanted me to cry but I quelled that feeling. "I grew up on a farm in a very small town in Georgia."

"City kid here." She smiled.

"Growin' up my parents never really took me to the city, I think I had only every gone once or twice a year and it was always just to help get things for the farm. Although one year my momma took me and my sister for back to school clothes in Atlanta, we got to go to mall and eat fast food and stay in a hotel. It was the best trip I can remember."

"I cant imagine not being able to just go to the mall, at least back in that life. I lived three blocks from a major mall and spent so much time there. Drinking orange Julius and eating a cinnibun. My best friend Max and I used to hang out there after school to do our homework." She explained.

"Its crazy how we are so similar but yet we grew up in such different worlds." I mumbled.

"But we both have things that will help us survive this world. Street smarts and fighting skills for me… My mom pushed me into marshal arts from a young age. Said Kell darling you have to know how to defend yourself, just be careful."

"I cant imagine how it must have been to grow up with that fear." I replied knowing full well what she was talking about.

"In the end we are all just trying to survive this world, we are all humans with one goal."

"Survival." I finished. She nodded her head. "Okay so tell me what was your all time favourite movie?" I changed the subject, I could sense she wanted a change.

"Hmm…. I loved anything Vin Diesel… Okay I loved Fast and the Furious they were hilarious but my all time favourite movie must have been Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. My grandma used to watch it every Sunday."

"My momma used to watch that movie sometimes."

"What about you, and please don't say some boring Hallmark Movie." She giggled.

I harrumphed before my reply came out. "Gone With the Wind and Pearl Harbour. Although I do love a good Hallmark Christmas special. I know they were all the same but its good cheesy fun."

It felt so nice to just sit and chat with a girlfriend again, I didn't realize how much I missed this. How much I truly longed to see my best friend Alison again. She was the A to my B and we did so much together.

I looked out through the slit in the wooden boards, the rain was still coming down in torrents, the streets flooded. A small herd of walkers ambled their way down a slope on the other side of the street, trees filled the area. The first plunged into the fast moving water, soon they all went floating down. I looked up at Kelly and we set to hunker down and secure the little place from the water that was slowly seeping onto the floor. Magna sat up and looked around. "Everything clear?"

"Yeah, streets flooding though and water is getting in here."

"Shit we should get to higher ground." She moved to wake Yumiko, Luke and Connie. We gathered everything we could and looked around, unsure of where to go. I braced myself and stepped outside to see what I could find, most of the buildings in this little town were one level and so many were missing doors and windows. Finally I spotted a small apartment building with four floors. I was soaked through to the bone and chilled. I signalled to the others to follow. We all slowly but surely made our way into the building. The first floor windows and doors were blown out and empty. We moved quickly to the stairwell, the door missing, surprisingly the door to the second floor was secure which gave us hope for the super floors.

I quietly opened the fourth floor stairwell door and peered inside, a few walkers ambled along the hallway but I could hear the moans and groans of others trapped inside apartments. "Beth flank me. Yumiko and Kelly watch the stairs. Luke check apartments. Connie watch our backs." Magna said out-loud as she spoke with her hands so Connie could know the plan as well.

We moved swiftly down the hall taking out the walkers without a sound. A whistle sounded so we looked over to Luke, he had found an empty apartment. Once inside we settled back in to ride out the rest of the storm.

The little apartment was still in rather decent shape considering how many years have passed since the world ended. Dust covered everything and the kitchen was empty, it's clear people have hunkered down here before. I wandered into the little bedroom with my knife held ready just in case. The room was empty save for a closet full of clothing and one lone knit blanket on the bed. I swiftly moved into the closest and rummaged through to see if I could find anything.

Lucky for me and most of my traveling companions the clothes in this closet fit perfectly. It felt nice to gather a few more pairs of jeans and sweaters. The winter is only going to get harsher the farther north we go.

"Hey Beth check it out." Magna said with glee from deep inside the closet. I looked over and in her hands she held a brand new never been worn pair of authentic cowboy boots. "Size 7."

"Oh my holy grail." I muttered.

"Here they are yours." She passed them to me with a smirk.

"I couldn't, don't any of you…"

"Girl ain't none of us have feet that tiny." Kelly chuckled, the others nodded in agreement. I pulled my old worn out boots off my feet. Put on a new pair of fluffy knee high socks we found in a drawer and slipped my feet into the new boots. They fit like a gem. A large smile filled my face for the first time in longer than I can remember.

"Lookin' good B." Luke chimed in. "Next place we go I hope has mens clothing."

"Why Luke, you are rocking that old oversized suit." Yumiko snickered.

"Oh yes of course I am."

We spent the next few hours poking at each other, then we really needed to get some rest for the long day ahead. Yumiko and Magna took the bed with the knit blanket while the rest of us found space in the little living room.

"Keep it down you too." Kelly giggled, it was nice to hear the sounds of fun and laughter again, even if the rest of us really didn't want to listen to their love making.

"Oh leave them be, who knows how long it will be before we find a place safe and private enough for them to get all up in each others business." I scolded in good fun.

"Good God the water is high." Magna said loudly as we excited the building. The street looked liked a river and debris was floating down. Luckily the rain had stopped its torrential down pour. "We need to get out of here, who knows how many of the dead are in the water."

It was a long trip out of the little town and we were met with way more hurdles then we hoped but we finally found a back road free of water and were headed North once again.

Finding them was a spot in a very dark world.

"Daryl?" I asked as he straddled his motorbike and kicked it into gear. He turned his head to look at me. "Where are you going?"

"Home." He replied and I knew that meant the camp he was living in away from all the communities. A German Shepard ran up next to him waiting for a signal to go.

"Then I am coming with you!" I said with as much conviction as I cold muster. Somehow, him looking at me from under his too long hair was taking me right back to that night in the funeral home. I felt eighteen again, small and a little insignificant but also like I knew him.

"No."


	4. Damn Your Stubborn

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Hope everyone has had or is having a great holiday season. Let the writing continue!**

"No… No…" I repeated. "Daryl please I can't lose you again." I told him as I walked as quick as I could towards him.

"I ain't dying I'm jus' goin' home."

"I want to see where you call home, I want to get to know you again."

"It's a camp, and it's dangerous you stay here." He told me flatly.

I put my foot down hard on the ground, crossed my arms across my chest, and stared at him with cold dark eyes. "I see, you still think of me as the fragile little girl at the prison who was only good for cooking, cleaning and taking care of babies. You don't see me as the strong woman who has survived out in the world all these years after having been shot in the head. Well fine then Daryl Dixon you go be the lone wolf you always wanted to be." I blurted out and turned on my heel.

Before I could step away towards the large mansion his rough calloused hand was on my arm spinning me back around to look at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Back at the farm, you couldn't be bothered to be near the other people in your group, you spent your time in the woods looking for that little girl, you kept your tent as far on the property as you could, you never really spoke to anyone. Even after the farm fell you kept so far away from everyone while still being present. It literally took your brother dying for you to become someone who spoke to the rest of us, who showed any kind of real human emotion. Daryl you don't have to revert back to that man who you left behind years and years ago."

"It's my fault Rick is dead."

"I highly doubt that."

"You don't know nothin' about it Beth, you were gone, supposed to be dead. You weren't here."

"You left me behind."

"You were dead."

Our voices were rising and most of the community had gathered to see what was happening. "Well I wasn't and nobody checked for a damn pulse before leaving me in a stupid backseat so going off the you were dead thing is crap. I am not dead and I am not that same little girl you took pity on when the prison fell."

"Took pity on ya… You think I took pity on you?" His voice was harsh.

"Why else would you escape with me. We all know you thought of me as useless just like everyone else. You know what never mind, just go Daryl." This time I did stalk away, I found my family sitting at one of the tables pretending not to listen. "Pack up we are leaving."

"Are you insane Beth…" Magna commented. "You want to just leave?"

"I want to find a better place."

"There is no better place." Luke piped in.

"He doesn't even live here, don't let him get to you." Kelly signed. I huffed a bit and sat down.

"Hey Beth."

"Tara." I nodded in her direction.

"He was the only one looking for you after we escaped from Terminus and as much as it seems he doesn't care… he really does. Maybe try cutting him some slack."

"It's fine just put me to work." I said to change the subject and to get my mind off of it.

"Okay well we need someone who can help out in the fields and farm." I smiled.

"Good thing I am a farmers daughter then." I chuckled. I stood back up and walked quickly to the gate, passing Daryl who still stood in his place and ignored him. I scanned the fields, walked over to one of the people working and asked them what they needed done. It was gonna be a long day but it felt good to be back in a farm field.

"Beth. Grab your stuff lets go." Daryl's gruff voice said from a few feet away in the field. I looked up from my weeding.

"I have work now."

"God damn your stubborn… when the hell you get so stubborn."

"What do you want from me Daryl, you already told me to stay, now I have a job and…"

"I changed my mind."

"You just happened to change your mind?" I asked to which he nodded. "This field needs weeded so I better keep working."

"Your pissed I get tha' but… I'm sorry for being a dick." I looked back up at him, stood there with his hands buried deep in his pockets. "I wanna get to know the person you hav' become."

I let my mind chew on his words for a bit before replying. I didn't know how I felt yet, I had spent so much time searching for them, for him… I missed them all so much, but I never thought about how different they would be when I found them again. I should have thought about it, I should have realized that if I have changed as much as I have then they probably have too. "I need to ask Tara if I can leave first."

"Already did"

"Well I need to ask her." I moved back towards the gates and found her sitting with Enid and Alden. "Tara…"

"Go have fun, make up, be friends again and hey maybe you can convince Dixon to move to one of the communities." I laughed as I went to say goodbye to my family and grab a few things.

They shooed me away with smiles and sneaky looks. I rolled my eyes and joined Daryl beside his motorcycle. The only vehicle I have seen in working order for years.

The drive was exhilarating, the wind whipping my hair as we sped down the abandoned roads. Leaves and debris covered the cement, Daryl expertly navigated through the mess. It took about and hour before we pulled off the road and made our way through thick tress, a path had been cut with multiple use. A black dog trotted along next to us. The sound of water rushing by filled my ears and soon we broke out into a clearing, a camp was set up all around. A tent, a cooking area, a place to store food and string it up into a tree, a fire pit. Everything. It was perfect.

We dismounted the bike and Daryl bent to scratch the ears of the black dog, who looked happy to see him. "What's his name?"

"Dog."

"Dog?"

"Yea'."

"Daryl you named your dog.. dog."

"What about it…"

"Nothing, it's just so…. you." I smiled at him. He sorta smiled back before going over to the fire pit and getting one started. I reached out to scratch Dog's ears, he sat at my feet with his head pushed into my hand for more affection. After a few moments I joined Daryl at the fire and sat down on one of the log benches. "Have you ever thought of building a cabin out here?"

"Sometimes… Ain't you supposed to be tryin' to convince me to move to Hilltop or somethin'?"

"Tara said to convince you to move to one of the communities, she didn't say which one specifically." I explained. "If you don't want to aint no one going to convince you though."

He huffed "Yeah."

"Right over here a little one bedroom cabin would fit nicely. With a little chimney for heat and a wood stove for cooking." My mind wandered out loud.

"What is this HGTV or somethin'?"

"Sorry that was supposed to be in my head." My cheeks heated as a blush crept up my neck.

"You don't like the tent?"

"No I love the tent, but if you make this a permanent home…"

"Nothin' is permanent now."

"Life is what you make it Daryl, you know that as well as anyone. Yes things can disappear and vanish but they could before. It's what you do in the now that matters."

"You got a lot wiser."

"Yeah well Im old now. Twenty six by my count." I smiled shyly. "When I was younger, before all this started I thought about what my future might hold, I figured I would go to college to be a teacher, then get a job at the elementary school in my town. Be married by 25 and starting a family of my own by twenty seven. Sunday dinners at the farm with my parents…."

"When I was twenty six I was lucky to not be dead or in prison like Merle was, like my old man was. Ain't never had a plan like that."

"It was expected of me I think… at least it felt that way." I explained. "Anyway life is what you make of it right."

He shrugged his shoulders with a slight gruff in reply. We sat in a nice silence for a while just watching the fames lick the sky. Dog lay next to my feet as I lightly scratched the top of his head.

Rain started to pour within the hour, the sky was growing darker by the second. Dog scurried off into a little shelter. Com'on." Daryl said as he stood up and moved towards the tent. I quickly stood and followed him in. The rain pelted the tent sides making a musical sound. "Think I'll add a tin roof."

"To the tent?" I asked with slight amusement.

"Nah to the cabin." I smiled knowingly and sat down on the mattress he had taking up the whole space. "You gotta decorate though or it'll jus' be a bed and stove."

"I will make it more homey." I replied. My hair was dripping as it clung to my back, my clothing soaked through. A shiver ran down my spine and my eyes met with Daryl's. His face remained unreadable, and partially covered by his too long hair. It was so much longer than it was last time I saw him. I wanted to reach out and touch it but though better of it. It took all my strength to keep my hand on my thigh. "Daryl I…." I started to say, I couldn't stop myself as my body moved forward and my lips lightly touched his. He didn't move. I could sense the shock but them I myself was to shocked to move back. We stayed there frozen, our lips touching and an electrical pulse between us….


	5. Night of Memories

The electricity surged through me as our bodies stayed connected. The pressure of our chests touching was enough to drive me crazy. Our lips pressed together and moving in perfect time, his hands holding my head, my hair between his fingers as he tugged slightly. I let my hands wander up his back underneath his flannel shirt. The rough skin under my fingers reminded me he is real.

"Beth…?" His rough voice mumbled my name under his breath. It came out as a question one that I answered with my mouth on his harder than before. I shoved my tongue into his mouth and pulled his head closer to me. I relished in the feel of his skin on mine as our shirts were removed.

My hand moved down to the buckle at his hips and pulled it apart before working the button and zipper. His hands moved to still mine. "Beth have you ever?" He asked.

I pulled my face away and looked at him with a smirk. "You think I'm a virgin?" I almost started giggling but the look on his face told me that would be a very bad idea so I held it in. He didn't say anything so I continued. "I am not… I was young when I lost it…. To Jimmy actually."

"The kid from the farm." He muttered.

"Yeah." His hand moved from mine and I began to pull at his pants again as he moved to get me out of mine. It didn't take long for me to be on my back with him hovering over me, I smiled into our kiss before moving my mouth from his and kissing my way down his neck and to his shoulder.

Our bodies moved in perfect rhythm together. It was euphoric, it was… I couldn't find the words in my addled brain to describe the feeling of having Daryl Dixon inside me. All too soon he moved to lay next to me, our breaths coming in pants, sweat clinging to both of our bodies. I turned my face to look at him. "wow"

He grinned and look over to me as well. "'s a good thing I brough' ya wit' me." I couldn't help it as a giggle escaped through my lips. "Will ya sing somethin'?"

"Oh my I haven't sung much in recent years but I can give it a try." I sat up and wrapped the blanket around myself as he sat up across from me with the other blanket over his lower half.

 _Could you fall in love with me?_

 _OhoOh_

 _Love is such a mind blowing mystery_

 _I know you're very busy_

 _And the terming's not quite right_

 _But I would take a bus on a late Sunday night_

 _To see you, too see you_

 _Could you be my boyfriend?_

 _OhoOh_

 _Boys are such a big book that I've barely read_

 _I know that you're much older_

 _And you've had many lovers_

 _But there's no place I'd rather be_

 _Than underneath the covers_

 _Next to you, next to you_

 _And I'm telling myself to be patient_

 _And I'm telling myself to wait_

 _'Cause when it comes to your love_

 _I over anticipate_

 _And I know that I've done this before_

 _And I know that I can't predict fate_

 _But when it comes to your love_

 _I over anticipate_

 _So I'm making big plans to see you_

 _'Cause I think that we could be great_

 _Yes, when it comes to your love_

 _I over anticipate_

 _Could you fall in love with me?_

 _OhoOh_

 _Will I solve this mystery?_

 _I'm bracing for a letdown_

 _'Cause I know you like your space_

 _But my head is full of love songs_

 _That I just can't erase_

 _About you, about you, about you_

The final words left my lips, his eyes were pools of emotion, something I had only ever seen once before. The scene played out in my mind as I gazed at him. We were sat together at that little table in an old funeral home someplace in middle of nowhere Georgia, it was dark and the candle light was all we could see by.

 _My own words echoed out. "I'm gonna leave a thank you note."_

 _"_ _Why?" His question wasn't harsh like I expected._

 _"_ _For when they come back. If they come back. Even if they're not coming back, I still want to say thanks."_

 _"_ _Maybe you don't have to leave that. Maybe we stick around here for a while. They come back, we'll just make it work. They may be nuts, but maybe it'll be alright." His voice was hopeful, a tone I rarely heard out of The Daryl Dixon._

 _I smiled, "So you do think there are still good people around. What changed your mind?"_

 _"_ _You know." His voice was soft._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _I don't know." He mumbled under his breath so I could barely make out what he said. I copied his mumbling._

 _"_ _What made you change your mind?" I asked him again. e didn't say anything to that, he just looked into my eyes with a look of such intensity. "Oh!"_

"What are ya thinkin' about?"

I shook my head to clear it and smiled. "I was remembering that night in the funeral home, the one where you had hope."

A blush creeped up his chest and into his face. "Why?"

"Because it is the happiest memory I have of us until today. We were as happy as we could be, eating pigs feet and just being."

"Beth you were hurt."

"I know but my ankle didn't hurt in those moments at that table, all I could think of was how happy I was that I made it out of the prison with you." I explained. "I was supposed to be on the bus. I don't even know what happened to those people, just that I haven't seen anyone in any of the communities here."

"Maggie found the bus in her search for Glenn. They were all walkers." I sighed and sank down onto the makeshift bed. "sorry."

"Don't worry about it, I knew it was a long shot. I spent a lot of time hating the Governor for what he did, for destroying our home and taking away so many people. Then I spent time hating Dawn for shooting me and ruining my chances of finding you. When I met Magna and the others I let go of that hate and anger, it wasn't doing me any good."

He stayed quiet, just listened to me explain little bits of the years we have spent apart. I leaned over and kissed him again, his arm snaked around me and pulled me close. We fell asleep tucked into each others embrace.

A loud thud brought me out of my sleepy haze, Dog started barking incessantly. Daryl shot up out of bed and threw on clothes faster than I have ever seen anyone get dressed. My head was foggy but I followed suit. More loud thuds made me hurry and a wicked wind started up. The entire tent was shaking from the high speed winds. Dogs barks were getting lost in the wind. I found my way outside, Daryl was working to tie something down, trees were starting to fall all around us. "DARYL!" I called out over the noise, He looked back at me quickly then back to his work. I moved quickly to do what I could to keep things from blowing away.

"BETH LOOKOUT!" I heard him yell, I turned to see him running towards me, then the sound of a sickening crack rang out around me, I moved my arms to cover my head but my reaction time was to slow. The next thing I knew was darkness. The same kind of darkness I had felt once before in my life.

 **Hello everyone, my apologies for such a late update. It's been crazy these last few weeks. I hope you all enjoy. As the years are passing and the world is going back to itself who knows what weather patterns will change too. Let me know what you think. I love to see your reviews.**


	6. My Family

My eyes fluttered and slowly opened. The light around me was blinding, my head felt heavy in one moment and light in the next. I lifted my hand to my forehead to feel for the damage caused by the falling tree. There was nothing but smooth skin beneath my finger tips. Odd… why can't I feel the scar from when I was shot? Confusion settled in my brain.

"Beth. Beth hunny…" The familiar voice wafted into my senses and filled me with joy… no confusion… no sadness. I sat up and looked around at my surroundings, no longer was I in Daryl's camp, no longer was the world falling apart, going back to itself. I was sitting in the living room of the house I grew up in. The white walls, antique furniture, pictures of smiling faces hung everywhere. Then sitting on the end of the sofa was the most beautiful woman in the world. My mother Annette.

"Mom?"

"You took quiet the spill dear, how are you feeling?"

"Where am I, what's happening?" I asked her as my head continued to whip around the room looking for anyone from my life now. I spotted Shawn siting in his favourite chair, a comic book open on his lap and a strange grin on his face. "Where is Daryl?"

"He's not here Bethy, not yet." I shook my head hoping to clear it. "We thought you would join us sooner but you my darling are a fighter."

"Doodlebug, I have missed you." My dad said coming in through the front door, Patricia and Otis following closely behind.

"Im dead?"

"Not quiet yet Bethy, you just gotta let go and this can be your reality as we wait for Mag's to join us one day."

"NO!" I stood up quickly, my head spinning slightly. "I need to go back, I have to go back. I am not ready to die yet."

"Your head injury is bad Beth." Patricia said softly from where she stood, the same dress she wore the last time I saw her… when the walkers pulled her from me.

"I survived a bullet to my brain I can sure a shit survive a tree smacking me."

"Language Bethany." My mother admonished me. I gave a slight glare in her direction, after all I am not a little kid any more. I am a full grown adult woman and I can damn well cuss if I want to.

"I need to go back, I just got Daryl back I can't let go this easy. I have family out there I have to get back to them." I explained.

"Then wake up Doodlebug… Wake up!"

Like a splash of water in my face I lunged forward, my eyes opening. Everything looked funny, I could feel a wet liquid running down the side of my face, hands were touching me, and the sound of water rushing nearby filled my ears. "Daryl?" I called out, my voice weak.

"Yeah I got you girl… I got you.."

A rhythmic beep sounded steadily in the back ground, fear gripped me, fear of being back in Grady. I forced my eyes to open, the room was different. It looked like a living room or something but still smelled like a hospital. I turned my head, Daryl was sat in a plush chair under a large bay window, his head tilted to the side as soft snores erupted from him.

"Your awake." A small voice said from the foot of the bed. I looked over to see Judith standing there with the sheriffs hat perched on her head and a hand on her hip. So much like Rick used to.

"Hi… how did I get here?"

"Uncle Daryl brought you in two days ago. He said a storm destroyed his camp and you got hurt. He hasn't really moved. Mom is happy he's here though. He doesn't come around much." I smiled at the young girl and turned back to look at Daryl, now awake and watching us. "Good you're awake too. Mom is making dinner, Siddiq want to look at you first though." Judith stepped away and the doctor I had met when we were first brought to this town stepped in and began examining my head. His long fingers were cold against my skin, I looked up at him with my big blue eyes, his face a mask of calm and serenity.

"How long were you a doctor before the end of the world?" I questioned him. He smiled before replying.

"I was a 3rd year med student. When things took a turn I was driving with my parents from New York. I had all my books with me and was studying. They told me to keep up my work, even when things got tough and then when I lost them I kept my books and I kept learning."

"My dad was our healer for a while. He was a vet before."

"I heard he was a really good man." He replied. "Maggie talks about him sometimes."

"Am I all clear, can I move now?"

"Yes, you had a pretty nasty bump to your head and I gave you stitches. Daryl bringing you here saved your life."

"What can I say I am a walking miracle, ain't nothin' gonna kill me yet."

"Well the fact that you survived not one but two traumatic head injuries is a miracle for sure. I would recommend being very careful, don't over exert yourself for a while and avoid getting hit in the head. Who knows how many times your head can take a hit before you don't come back."

"Thanks Doc!" I sat up slowly and looked over to Daryl, he was quiet like always, just watching. "Let's go Daryl."

"Are you sure you don't want to rest more."

"Positive, I cant keep resting." I exclaimed as dramatically as I could. "So what exactly happened?"

"Tree fell, hit ya… I didn't get to ya in time."

"Okay okay okay… Daryl do NOT blame yourself, if you do I swill smack you or something because you don't control the weather. There was no way to know what would happen and blaming yourself which is totally a you thing is so stupid and I will fight you." He stared at me in astonishment.

"You'll fight me?"

"Yes."

"I can literally toss you over my shoulder."

"But you won't because it could hurt my head and then the doctor would be angry with you."

"I could toss him over my shoulder."

"Can I watch?" I smirked.

"Greene you are…. I don' even know."

"How are you feeling?" Michonne asked as she poured a glass of ice tea for each of us.

"A little headache but I'll live, getting shot was worse."

"I have never been shot." Judith said from her seat next to her little brother. He was the perfect mix of his parents.

"That's a good thing lil lady, keep it that way." Daryl told her. She smiled and giggled.

"Dinner is amazing Michonne thank you for having us."

"Beat's squirrel." Daryl mentioned earning a fit of giggles from RJ. "Ya think it's funny kid, huh." He nodded along enthusiastically. "Well maybe I'll bring ya back a squirrel for dinner one day."

"Gross." Judith said with a face.

Michonne sat back watching. Daryl really is good with the kids, like he is a natural. Maybe one day…

 **Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter Beth and Daryl are alone again! Wink wink... Anyway my apologies for it taking so long to upload. My plan was to write s lot faster but work has been in an upheaval** **and its been crazy. Hopefully things will move a lot fast now though. I love to hear what you think please drop a review!**


	7. A New Threat

Our feet moved slowly across the pavement as we walked down the long highway. It was a massive fight to get Daryl to even consider letting me outside the walls of Alexandria. I slipped my small hand into his larger one, he squeezed my hand back and I smiled softly to myself. My headache had subsided over the few days we had been in the small quaint town.

A light breeze trickled through the air, touching on my inflamed skin. The heat of the hot summer day felt like being in Georgia again. "Have you thought about staying in Hilltop now that the storm decimated your camp?"

"Havn' decided yet." His rough voice spoke. I turned my face upwards to look at him, he in turn looked down to meet my eyes. The fear that our reunion could have been cut so short still gripped within me. It was nice being home, with my family again, even if only in a hazy head wound dream. Being here with Daryl was so much better and more important to me. I sure as hell ain't ready to die.

"Well I hear that Tara person is a good leader, or at least she seemed to be when I was there briefly."

"She's good."

"It's weird knowing so many of the people from before are gone now. I kinda expected to just find everyone huddled together." He smirked at me. "It's silly I know that but I couldn't help but hope. Because Daryl hope is all we have to get by in the world. I had hope I would find you and I did."

"I had hope we would find Ricks body but we didn'. I had hope Carl would still be alive but he aint."

"Oh negative Nancy I see. Well Daryl I have hope that everything will work out as it should."

"Negative nancy?" He repeated. I let out a light giggle as the words sounded so funny coming from such a large rough man.

A low moan from the forests edge alerted me to the presence of walkers. My knife in hand I turned to see a small group emerging from between the thick trees. "Kill. Them." The words were nothing but a whisper on the wind that sent chills down my spin.

"Damn it, same thing as when Jesus went down. We gotta go Beth. We gotta go." We took off running as fast as we could, just like when we escaped the prison. It was so reminiscent of that I wanted to cry. My feet hit the pavement in hard thuds, the air growing hotter and my skin burning. The wind no longer helping cool me down. "Kepp runnin'." Daryl called out to me, his hand grabbing mine to pull me along. The highway soon became cluttered and we had to veer off into the woods to get away from the debris. Having been so many years since this all started the world was no longer run by humans. Plants and animals had taken over again.

My breath was heavy in my chest and my skull was pounding again as the fast action irritated the head injury from a few days prior. Fear spun through my veins as Daryl clutched my hand, our sweat mingling and making it hard to hold on. The whispering around us intensified, what looked like walkers surrounded us, emerging from hiding spots. From the corner of my terrified eye I saw one walker hold up a large hunting knife. My brain couldn't comprehend what I was seeing, how is that real? Walkers don't hold weapons. "We gotta fight." His voice was only a whisper near my ear but I prepped myself for battle.

What looked like a walker lunged at me, knife in hand. I stepped aside and plunged my knife into the skull. A quick groan escaped the mouth and it was then I noticed the stitches on the back on the head. I couldn't fully process as I swung around and dodged another attached. We kept moving forward as the onslaught of attached continued. I dared a quick glance to Daryl, his face a mask of concentration as he fought off multiple attachers. Time seemed to stand still as our bodies moved, taking down one attacher after the next.

The air was still… "retreat." The hushed whisper floated on the air over and over again, the bodies still standing started ambling away, back into the dense forest. My breath was coming in heavy pants, Daryl next to me, his knife raised and ready was also out of breath. Soon it was just us and actual dead people.

Daryl reached down and yanked the walker face off the nearest body. A young man's face appeared, dirty but completely human. "Found one of these when Jesus was killed. Real weird shit."

"People wearing dead peoples faces." I shivered.

"Let's get to Hilltop." He grabbed my hand and we made haste through the woods and back towards the small settlement.

The gates were in sight as we stepped through one of the farm fields that surrounds the community. "Daryl I don't think it is safe for you to go back out there." He looked over at me, his eyes half covered by his to long hair. He nodded once.

"Nah I ain't goin' back. Not with those nut jobs running around." I smiled knowing he wasn't going to put himself into danger like that.

"OPEN THE GATES!" The guard yelled as we approached. Once inside with the gates closed Magna rushed over and pulled me into a hug.

"When you didn't come back right away I worried something must have happened." Soon the others from my group surrounded us with worried but thankful and relieved faces.

"That mark was not on your head when you left." Luke noted.

"Why do you look like you have gone two rounds with Mike Tyson?" Connie signed.

"Long story!" I replied both in voice and with my hands. They pulled me with them towards one of the housing units. I bid Daryl a smile as I went with my family and he moved to find Tara.

Sitting on the small love seat surrounded by my family was a comfort I hadn't realized I missed until it was gone for a few days. Magna lay with her head in my lap and her legs across Yumiko, a soft smile playing at her lips. Together again in a safe place, we were relaxed and free for a while. "So tell us B, what in the hell happened?"

"Well there was a storm."

"Oh yeah, it was pretty bad here I can only imagine being out there in it." Kelly replied with words and signs.

"Yeah I got hit in the head with a tree branch, a really big one… Okay I got hit by a falling tree but I am totally fine. Daryl got me to Alexandria and Siddiq did his thing and bada bing bada boom I am good."

"Okay but why do you look like you have been in a fight, I don't mean the bumps from the tree. I mean you look worse for wear." Yumiko questioned me.

"Well it was a real battle getting back here. We ran into this group, they wear the faces of the walkers." I started. We sat going over the events of the last few days. My family listening with rapt attention.

"So you're back here now though? No more leaving?" Luke asked.

"Yes."

"Good!" Rang the voices of my family, they all took turns moving to hug me. I miss Judith and Michonne, but leaving these people, my family, my friends, I can't and won't do it again. They are my home.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of the locations or characters used and mentioned.**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	8. Just Survive Somehow

**Hey everyone, thanks for your patience on this chapter. I have been in a bit of a craze. I quit my job and took off on a vacation to Mexico. Trying to alleviate some of the stress I have built up which is totally unhealthy.**

 **I am super pissed about Enid getting killed in the second to last episode so I will not be following along with that in this story. I will be adding more whisperer stuff into the story and the heads will roll but I am going to be changing it up.**

 **Anyway let me know what you think, I love to see your feedback!**

I woke the next morning to sunlight streaming through the window of the little unit my family and I now lived in. Luke lay snoring softly on the sofa. Manga and Yumiko sat on the bed in the back corner chatting happily. I sat up on my top bunk and looked around to find Connie and Kelly. Kelly was in the kitchen cooking, the smell of eggs frying sent my mind into hyper drive. Connie was nowhere to be seen. "Morning." I whispered to which Kelly smiled. Luke stirred and eventually sat up.

"Where is Connie?" Yumiko mentioned.

"I haven't seen her since last night." Kelly replied as she placed a fried egg on a plate and handed it to Magna.

"Weird, she has never gone MIA before." I said standing up. I quickly changed my clothes and made for the door. "I'm gonna go check with Daryl and see if he has seen her." The mumbled out okays and I was on my way.

Them morning sun was bright and warm. I looked up into the blue sky and smiled. "Good morning Beth." Enid said happily as I nearly crashed into her and her boyfriend Alden.

"Good morning… sorry I didn't see you there."

"No worries, how was your night?"

"Wonderful, its s nice being behind walls and just the security of it is…"

"I get it."

"Have you seen Daryl or Connie?" I questioned.

"I saw them both leave through the gates last night, it was super late."

"They left… that's so… they didn't say anything." I stumbled.

"Tara might know, she's up at the house." I thanked her and walked quickly to the big house that sat as the focal point of the community. I found Tara sitting on the steps looking over some blueprints.

"Hey Tara do you know where Daryl and Connie went?"

"Henry took off after the girl yesterday. Daryl went to find him and Connie followed." I frowned and nodded my head in response. Daryl had left again, my mind raced as I thought about the danger he was most likely in. Those skin walkers terrified me. "You okay?"

"Oh um yes, thank you." I gave her a weak smile and turned back towards the trailer I share with my family.

I pushed open the door and walked inside. The others were sitting around the small living space chatting happily. "Did you find Connie?"

"Her and Daryl took off in the middle of the night to chase after that kid Henry." I told them plopping myself down on the floor and leaning against the love seat.

"She just left without saying anything." Kelly stated dumbfounded.

"Yeah and so did he." I replied. "Things are so different from when I was with them last. So many of the people I knew are dead now, the ones that remain are such different people. I mean I should have known that things would be different… maybe we should have run off after I heard Judith say her name."

"No Beth this is a good place and these are good people. We just have to find the way we fit in with them. You were so different from all of us when we found you, I mean you grew into an extremely strong person. Not saying you were weak before but the people here who know you, they treat you like a damn china doll." Magna said from her spot on the floor. "It has been seven years since you last saw any of these people, the little girl has grown up, Daryl has had to live years without you, thinking you were dead. Michonne has lost a lot and it has hardened her from the person you told us she was. Everyone changes as the years go on and everyone grows."

"Yeah and who knows Beth, if you had still been with them all these years you could very well be that young fragile little girl who had to have people take care of her. Hell you could have been killed or captured during that war they mentioned they had." Luke piped in.

"I know in my head that you are both right… a part of me just doesn't want to grasp it you know."

"We get it B, but I think patience and understanding will help in the long run." Yumiko added.

"Well, why are we sitting her, we should be doing something."

"Like what?" Kelly asked quietly.

"I don't know, either we get up and go after them or we get out of this trailer and do the jobs we were assigned when they let us stay here."

"I vote going after them!" Kelly enunciated.

"Kelly we should do our jobs, no sense going out and getting lost or hurt trying to find them when we don't even know where they went." Yumiko told her.

"She's right, Daryl is the best tracker I know. If he is following Henry's trail then he will also be covering it, so we won't be able to find it. It's best if we stay here and do what needs to be done. I trust that Daryl will bing Connie home safe and sound." I explained.

It didn't take long for us to stand up and make our way outside and to our posts.

My feet lightly touched the ground as I walked through the gardens out the front gate, the plants growing in nicely. The sounds of nature filled the air around me, birds chirping their morning song, a light breeze blowing through the tress. It filled me with a sense of peace I hadn't felt in a long time. My mind wandered back to Georgia, to the large farm that had been in my family for generations. The cows grazing in the distance, the porch swing that squeaked in the wind, my mom sitting on the rocker knitting some blanket as she hummed a sweet lullaby.

My minds eye filled with the groans of walkers as I remembered the night we lost it all, my daddy fighting to stay put on the land he loved, Patty being ripped away from me as her neck was torn open by a walker. Months earlier, my brother coming inside holding his arm and screaming, then waking in the middle of the night to my mom's blood curdling scream as my brother tore into her. It wasn't his fault, I know that now, it wasn't any ones fault. The world had turned cruel and we were not ready for it.

I brought my self back into focus as I started pulling weeds from one area of the field, my hands doing the work that I grew up loving. "BETH!" I heard Magna scream, I looked around me in time to see a walker getting closer to me. I pulled my knife quickly and jabbed it into the eye socket, the walker went down easily. The others in the garden moved towards the gate so they guards could take out any other walkers in the area.

Back inside the safety of the wall I let a few tears slide down my cheeks as I walked back to the trailer to wash up. My hands covered in dirt and blood. I couldn't help but worry about Magna and Yumiko being out there clearing the woods, Daryl and Connie god knows where, and Maggie. I haven't seen my sister in seven years, and I finally found our people again and she isn't with them.

I can't imagine what loosing Glenn must have been life for her but to just up and leave everyone. It doesn't make sense to me.

"You okay?" Enid asked as she popped her head in the door.

"Yeah just worried is all."

"I miss Maggie too."

"You know her well?"

"She kinda sorta adopted me in a way. I was supposed to be with her and Glenn that day one the road when the saviours attacked. I was supposed to come here with them to see the doctor. Carl he locked me in a closet so I ended up stuck in Alexandria. Eventually I made it here after everything happened. Maggie and I sorta took care of each other."

"Like a new little sister." I replied in a cold voice.

"No more like a mother daughter thing."

"That's actually kinda funny because Maggie never really had that motherly instinct in her. She hated babysitting, she preferred to go on runs to get supplies for Judith rather than care for her. When I was little she hated when my parents made her bring me places."

"This world changes people and by that point she was pregnant. I think it kicked some of those instincts in for her." Enid explained.

"I do miss her, but I feel like whoever it is that is going to come back here one day isn't going to be my sister. Not in the way I knew her. Everyone is different. I don't really recognize any of them."

"If my parents were to walk through that gate, they wouldn't recognize me. I am okay with that and you need to be okay with it too." She explained. "It's okay to cry and scream and be upset but at the end you just gotta be okay. My old motto was 'just survive somehow' it got me through some pretty tough things."

"How did you change your mindset?" I questioned.

"Carl."

"He was a good kid… most of the time." I chuckled slightly.

"He showed me that it's okay to be sad but at the same time we have to be happy we are here and alive and that we still get a chance to make something of our lives. He chose to be happy in his last days even though everything looked so bleak at the time."

A loud crash sounded from the direction of the front gate. "What was that?" I said as she turned from the door way and looked out in the direction of the noise. She bolted down the single step, I followed her. The front gate was smashed and a large semi truck was sitting in the entry way of the Hilltop, walkers spilling from the back and through the gate.


	9. A Fight

The moans of walkers filled the air, screams from Hilltop residents sounded as more and more walkers poured into the small community. Shots rang out as people jumped into action, grabbing guns and anything they could use to take out the looming army of the dead. I grabbed my knife and gun and jumped into action. Blood coating my arms and face. I grunted in exertion as one by one the dead fell to the ground.

Grumbles and screams of residents being eaten alive sound in my ears. I couldn't let it distract me, I had to keep fighting for this place. Over the years we have all lost so many places, my sister needs a place to come back to when she is done saving the world or whatever.

"BETH!" Magna called as she rushed into the hoard of walkers surrounding me, she took out a walker that was inches from biting into my neck. My narrow escape from death once again fuelled me as my knife slashed into the nearest walker. I yanked it back, black goo coming at me, it was warm as it landed on my face and neck. It seemed like hours but was only minutes. My breath was coming in short rasps as my lungs fought to steady. Soon the groans of the dead were gone and the cries and screams of those that were bitten or had lost someone they loved filled the still air. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. Everything was a mess, blood and bodies strewn in the courtyard, the gate smashed to bits. Magna and I moved around to help as best we could. All in all our losses could have been greater.

"We have to clear these bodies, get the gate fixed." Tara said as she came to stand with us. A few others joined our circle to discuss the next step. "We bury our people…"

"And burn the rest." I finished. "Rick's old motto." Tara nodded her head.

"Well let's get going, get our people to the cemetery and have a group get them prepped. We will clear the walkers and take them to the field to burn. Grab the trucks." Tara declared pointing at those she wanted in each group. "And Alden you lead the crew on gate repair. Let's go people."

Everyone dispersed to get it all done. Night would fall soon and we needed the gate to keep everyone safe at night, who knew what else might be on the way.

Magna and I tossed the final walker onto the large fire about a mile away from Hilltop. The smoke choked the air making it hard to breath. The few of us stood back watching as the bodies melted into each other. My eyes glazed over as the memories of the first time I ever witnessed this flooded into the forefront of my mind.

The white farm house that had been in my family for over 100 years, the central point of my families land. I sat in the window of the main floor bedroom. My mother had just been put down by Rick and his people. They didn't seem to care that these were people who we knew and loved. They buried my mom and my brother and burned everyone else. They piled them up and set them ablaze. Daddy had gone off someplace to be alone. Maggie was out there helping them, helping Glenn. Jimmy stayed faithfully by my side, annoyingly so. I couldn't look any more so I got up and laid on the bed. My mind went blank. I remember only a few things from after that. I remember trying to kill myself… then the pain in my wrist as it was bandaged… I remember the fall of my home and being on the run for so long. Becoming family to the new people. The people I thought I would hate forever. An image of Daryl from the first day I saw him popped up. He looked so young, so tough….

"Beth?" Magna's voice rang out in my head. I turned to face her, she looked worried.

"I'm sorry."

"Where did you go?"

"Back in time." I answered shortly. We turned to make the trek back to the hilltop. "What happens now?"

"I don't know, I guess for now we just get the fence repaired and figure out what to do about those people." Tara said as she walked up beside Magna and I. "As a group."

.

.

.

.

A few days later we were all sat around a large table under a beautiful umbrella hand crafted by one of the women in the community. Tara and I sat with our heads together giggling about something funny that had happened the night before. The large wooden fence that surrounds the Hilltop was repaired and the gate was back in working order. It took a while to get the truck running again so we were able to remove it from the entry way.

"OPEN THE GATES" a voice hollered from on the guard tower. The massive gates were pulled open and Daryl and Connie came running through with Henry and some young girl. Tara and I bolted to our feet to greet them.

"Beth!" Daryl said pulling me into a hug, he smelt of the woods and something I couldn't put my finger on. My face scrunched up automatically and I pulled away from him. I took notice now of his face, beaten and bruised.

"Have you been swimming in sewer water?" I asked and Connie looked to me and signed that it had been a hell of a few days.

"We can't stay long, we have to run… Her mother is going to come for her."

"Then let the girl go." I said matter of fact.

"Beth you don't mean that?" Daryl said in astonishment.

"I do mean it… if she is a danger to everyone here then why keep her around?"

"Because she deserves a chance." Henry yelled at me. I turned to look at him. He reminded me of me all those years ago on the farm. "Everyone deserves a chance."

"Ones survival is not more important than the many Henry." I told him. "One day you will learn that."

"My mom used to tell stories about you… she said you were kind and the reason you had died was because you were to soft… you couldn't do what needed to be done."

"She was right, the Beth she knew was different. The Beth she knew was a teenager who had just lost everything she knew and understood, who had to enter into this new and dangerous world with a bunch of people she didn't know from Adam. The Beth that she knew spent her days taking care of babies and cooking for the group while people like Daryl and Rick and Maggie were out fighting and searching for supplies." I snapped. "Thing is kid… they left me in that hospital with those people who believed in many over the one. You adapt to the world… you have too."

"So you became like those that you hate?" He asked. "So we should have become like the saviours instead of beating them because they tried to over take us. They murdered my brother and Glenn and so many other people… one of your friends or even possibly you would have had your head bashed in with a bat if we had all become like our enemy."

"Henry that's enough." Daryl said quietly.

"No no let him finish Daryl." I barked.

"I am done. Come on Lydia let's go get cleaned up." Henry said and pulled the girl with him towards the main building.

"Beth was any of that necessary?" Daryl questioned. His voice of reason shining, anger bubbled inside of me.

"I'm sorry, I need to go." I turned on my heel and headed towards the little trailer I share with my family. Daryl tried to grab onto my arm but I pulled it away and took off. I couldn't deal with any of it right now. I just needed time and space. I pulled the door open a little harder than I needed to, Kelly was sitting inside on the chair, a tattered old magazine on her lap.

"Hey Beth!" Kelly exclaimed as I entered in a huff.

"Connie is back she is outside." I replied. She looked at me slightly concerned before she became elated and took off running outside to see her sister.

.

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.

.

The next morning Daryl took the kids to Alexandria, once again leaving me here in Hilltop with out him. At least I had the fair to prepare for. Tara and I were getting everything ready to transport to the kingdom. Connie had once again taken off with Daryl, Kelly remained here with the rest of us. I could tell she was worried about her sister but couldn't help but feel pissed that we were once again being left in the lurch while they go off adventuring.

"I think having you back scares him." Tara said from her seat across from me at the table. Decorations were laid out in front of us.

"Huh?"

"Daryl… I think he is freaked out about you being alive. I mean he lost you once and I think he is afraid to get to close you know."

"For fear of losing me again… its bullshit."

"Might be bullshit but he has a hard time letting people in."

"I know, some things never change."

"After losing Rick everything changed. He became more of a recluse then before, him and Michonne stuck together like glue until he left the communities altogether and moved to the woods someplace."

"Do you know why?"

"No idea… everyone has been separate until now. This fair is the best way we could think of to get all the communities back together, plus we need the trade if we are all going to survive. The last few years have been tough." I nodded my head in understanding. "You being alive and back with the group means everything especially to him and I know Maggie will be beyond happy when she gets back."

"If she gets back." I muttered.

"I prefer to be positive when it comes to her extended vacation away."

"Tara that is a very interesting way to put it." I chuckled. "So this fair, is there anything else I can do to help?"

"You are helping and I thank you."

We left before dawn the next day to the Kingdom. Walking through the gates I was shocked to see the place, Tara telling me about it did nothing to really describe the former high school and the care the people who lived here put into it. I saw Carol standing by what looked like a dunk tank talking to a woman with a baby. I walked over to her with a small smile on my face. "Hey Carol."

"Beth, hey." She gave me a hug and looked off behind me.

"Daryl and Henry are not with you?"

"They took off on some harebrained mission. I have no idea."

"Daryl left without you?" I nodded my head and she shook hers. "Well I am sure he has his reasons I just hope they are okay out there."

We got to work setting the other tables up. This fair was going to be epic.

 **I know this has taken forever to post, i hope you like it. Please let me know what you think!**


	10. The Fair

**Hey everyone, thank you for keeping up with this story, again my apologies for it being so long between updates. Keeping a writing schedule was so much easier when I was younger lol. I know this one is short and I do apologize. The next one is going to be a bit bigger and soon we are ramping up to a big finale.**

 **Happy May long weekend!(american long weekend)**

By the next morning the Kingdom was full of so many people, sounds, and delicious smelling food that my mind had trouble keeping up. Faces kept flashing in front of me, asking me how I am, asking if I wanted to try anything, it was all becoming too much to fast. I looked around the town square for a place to escape to. That's when I saw Daryl, Connie, Henry and that girl come in through the gates. A part of me wanted to run over to them but the overwhelming feelings were to strong. I took off into the nearest door and found myself in a swimming pool room. The pool of course was empty, sofas and lounge chairs were set up inside of it, graffiti littered the walls. The room was empty and only a soft glow of light was coming in from the dirty windows up high. I walked down the steps and into the pool, the sofa was a big plush leather one, the kind you could get lost in. I sunk in deep and closed my eyes and let my mind clear.

For so many years it has just been Magna, Yumiko, Connie, Kelly, Bernie, Luke and I. We haven't had to deal with mass amounts of people in forever. The closest thing to crowd control we ever had to deal wth was hoards of the dead. Walkers surrounding us seemed like nothing compared to living people, living, talking, breathing people who all wanted different things. They had no intention of eating our flesh, they just wanted to talk or show us things.

"What ya doin'?" Daryl asked, his voice low and rough. I jumped as he startled me. I hadn't heard him come in. My walls were dropped. I needed to work on that. Being in such a "safe" place I was getting sloppy and I couldn't let myself get comfortable and complacent. I had to keep sharp. You never know what could be lurking around the corner.

"Getting some quiet. How can I help you Daryl." I said a little more coldly than I had intended.

"I deserve that." He replied. I remained silent, my eyes searching his face. He slid down the side of the pool and came to sit in the arm hair across from me. "I wanna explain where I have been."

"It's your business Daryl you don't need to explain anything to me. You have your own life that you have built and you are just living it. I just didn't think you would take my friend with you."

"Connie?"

"No the other friend." I replied sarcastically. "Yes Connie, why take her, you don't even know her."

"I don' know you either… not really." Came his soft grumbled reply and in that moment I realized what he said was true. We no longer knew each other. It wasn't like when it was just us and we knew which way the other would move. No now its a matter of trying not to bump heads.

"You're right Daryl we don't know each other so if you don't mind I came in here to be alone and get some quiet."

I knew it was harsh the moment the words left my mouth but it didn't fully register until the hurt look crossed his face. He masked it almost immediately but I still saw it, I saw a glimpse of the man I knew all those years ago after the prison fell. I didn't know how we would get past this.

He nodded his head but said nothing. His feet carried him quickly up and out of the pool, the light blinded me as he opened the heavy metal door but all too soon it was closed and it was just me in the darkness again.

I sighed and tossed my head back against the seat. How can being back with some of the people I used to call family already be so screwed up. Sometimes I wish I could just disappear again. Go back out into the world and it just be me.

A noise at the door startled me. I looked up to see a blonde woman from the hilltop. "Hey how was the ride over?" The woman got closer to me and it was then I could see her face. I step back startled. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Alpha and you are coming with me." Her voice was low and slightly terrifying. I could take her though that I knew. I grabbed an arrow from next to me and lunged at her as something heavy collided with the back of my head.

"Careful now, don' kill her. We need her alive like the others." I heard her say before the blackness took over.

When I woke next to the smell of an old barn, I groaned as the throbbing in my head began. I sat up slowly. "Careful." Enid said from right next to me. I looked around at all the familiar faces, Siddiq, Tara, Henry…

"Henry?"

"If you make it out please tell my mom I'm sorry."

"Oh god… where are we."

"The whisperers are holding us here, we think they are going to kill us and use us as an example." Tara explained.

"We have to fight back."

"We will." Frankie put in. "I can here them coming." We all stood up and formed a circle, we had grabbed anything we could find to try and fight them off.

The doors blew open and the whisperers poured into the barn, circling us. My heart pounding in my chest as I slashed my first strike against the nearest whisperer.


End file.
